melon, cucumber and banana are traditional produce of the area. Peas (known as Mogral peas), water melon and cucumber from here were popular till the 1970s. Apart from these seasonal harvests, Arecanut, mango and jackfruit are also cultivated. In the past few decades, the dependence on agriculture has shrunk drastically. A population explosion, a growth in nuclear families and increased remittance flow have resulted in a housing boom, leading to mansions being erected in cultivable lands. The 2001 census figures show that the number of main cultivators in the panchayat has dwindled to 228 and main agricultural laborers to 137. Several people were also employed in sand-mining and transportation. However, in 2005, sand mining was banned following complaints that it was weakening the foundations of the rail bridge nearby and endangering the lives of people in the locality. Industry Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Co.Ltd. (KEL), a state government-owned company, has a manufacturing unit in Bedradka, in the eastern part of Mogral Puthur. The unit, which began operations in 1990 with technical know-how from the French Moteurs Leroy Somer, manufactures, among other products, diesel generator sets and general purpose brushless AC generators. Indian Railways is one of its major clients. There are a few small-scale and cottage industries in the area. Beedi rolling was a major economic activity in the area in the 1970s and 1980s, providing employment to many women. Though some still practice the craft, as elsewhere in Kerala, the cottage industry has declined considerably in recent years. The region's laterite quarries supply much of the bricks for the local construction industry. There was a fledgling timber industry on the south bank of the Mogral River in the 1980s. Education and Health The literacy rate in Mogral Puthur is 86.31 percent, well above the national average, but below the state average of 94.59. The panchayat has two high schools, Mogral Puthur GHSS and Government Technical High School Mogral Puthur, and several primary and upper primary schools. The first educational institution in the area was a lower-primary school started in the early part of the 20th century. For many years, it was manned by a lone teacher named Muddan. (Hence, that school was known as "Muddan's School".) Later, an upper primary school was established. It operated out of a rented property in Puthur till 1969, when the school moved to its own building. In the late 1970s, it was